An Australian customizer managed to transform the famous FJ Cruiser SUV into a single cab pickup after adding a Nissan chassis.
The pick up It went from becoming a work tool to being a multifunctional vehicle regardless of the market where it is sold. From the rusticity of the models of yesteryear, passed through the intermediate era where they began to offer comfort elements, until today that maintains the quality, equipment and safety of any Premium sedan.
But it also brought a large group of fans who began to customize them as if they were a car: flattened to the ground, with greater elevation for off road, engines of more than 500 horsepower and all types of modifications that were up to the circumstances.
It is not even strange to see cars converted into pickup trucks, something that is usually done in North America, or other types of vehicles such as SUVs. And it is the latter that is the particular model that occupies this note: a Toyota FJ Cruiser which completely changed its concept.
Yes, we know that fans can go beyond the limits of their imagination to see their idea come to fruition, but on this occasion an Australian fan did not sit idly by and took matters into his own hands with a very particular conversion.
With the help of a custom workshop, They transformed this successful but already discontinued model into a two-seater pickupwith a chassis-cab design and a considerable rear platform reminiscent of the same Tacoma or Hilux from the old era.
From SUV to pickup: this is how this unusual model was created
The project began by cutting and disassembling the body of the FJ Cruiser, the “donor” SUV. Although most would probably stop there, the chassis had to be widened by 300 mm (11.8 in), as the original model’s 2,690 mm (105.9 in) wheelbase was considered too short to accommodate a large enough bed.
The rear wall comes from a Nissan Patrol GU, which turned out to be a great option for this project. At the back, there is an aluminum tray consisting of folding sides, tailgate, fenders, mesh protection for the rear glass and custom-made taillights. As a final touch, the special FJ Cruiser received a new set of beadlock wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires.
This eye-catching project is courtesy of Tinman Fabrications, a vehicle customization shop in Victoria, Australia, known for its stellar conversions of popular SUVs. According to the owner, this is a personal project that took two years in the making, with the FJ Cruiser pickup being the first of its kind in the ocean market.
While details on mechanical upgrades are scarce, the engine Original 4.0 liter V6 under the hood developed by Toyota should provide enough power. Depending on the model year used for the conversion, it could result in between 239 and 260 horses of force, sending power to all four wheels through the option of a five-speed or six-speed automatic transmission.
But the builder did not limit himself to the conversion of this model, he decided to reuse the rear part that he cut from the FJ Cruiser: instead of ending up in a scrapyard, the owner of the custom shop recycled it and He turned it into a huge toolbox that is built into the wall of his premises. Ingenuity at its finest.
